What does joked mean?
“Joked” is the past tense and past participle of the verb “joke.” It means to tell or make a joke, to tease playfully, or to treat a subject with humor. In conversation, people may say that someone “joked about” a difficulty to explain that they mentioned it lightly rather than seriously. The word can also imply that a serious subject was treated as humorous, whether appropriately or not. “Joked” is common in both British and American English and works in informal conversation as well as in reporting, literature, and formal descriptions of speech. The related noun “joke” has a similarly broad use: it can refer both to something said to amuse people and to the broader practice or activity of joking.
verbThe past tense and past participle of joke: to say something intended to be amusing or to make someone laugh.
- To make or tell jokes; to behave in a humorous or playful way.
"The speakers joked about the delays, keeping the audience entertained."
"He joked about his unfamiliarity with the equipment, but soon understood how it worked."
"They joked with each other throughout the long train journey."
To joke is to turn a serious moment into laughter—but when you have “joked,” the laughter has already happened.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does joked come from?
The word comes from the English verb “joke,” which entered use in the 16th century and is related to the older word “jocund,” meaning cheerful or merry. The ultimate root is Latin “jocus” or “jocum,” meaning jest or joking. English developed several related forms, including the noun “joke,” the adjective “jocular” for humorous or jesting, and “jocose” for playful or joking.
Related word forms
How joked is actually used
In its ordinary grammatical use, “joked” is the simple past tense and past participle of “joke.” It is also used figuratively for serious matters that are treated lightly, often with the implication that the issue is not being addressed seriously.
Easily confused with joked
Joked means spoke humorously, while choked means could not breathe comfortably or was unable to speak clearly.